"Republicans need someone like Ronald Reagan, someone everyone knows, someone everyone likes, someone who is conservative and – most importantly – someone who would hold the presidency for eight years. What qualifications would such a candidate need? He would have to be someone who is very articulate and convincing in front of the camera, someone who exudes confidence, someone who naturally appeals to women voters, someone familiar with the news media, someone who has kept very much in the public eye and yet someone who has been away from the mess in Washington for awhile.
Is there such a man? Yes, there is: Fred Thompson. He has been consistently conservative on social policy and his help in getting John Roberts confirmed as Chief Justice to the Supreme Court was critical. Thompson has a record in the Senate and he voted conservative, according to the American Conservative Union, eighty-six percent of the time."--Bruce Walker
I have to say that when I first heard about Fred Thompson's possible run for the White House I wasn't that impressed. I thought, first of all I don't know how impressive this guy is, and if I'm going to get behind an ideal guy who doesn't have a chance I'd get behind Duncan Hunter.
That has all changed for me. I'm not one of these people predicting that he's our next Reagan but I like what I'm seeing.
First of all, to know Fred Thompson is to love him, the more I hear, the more I like. Second of all, the fact that he is #2 and even #1 in some polls and has already gotten the backing of some influential people shows that his viability is real. In fact, I will go out on a limb even before he has declared and predict that this race is now his to lose. I think its very likely that Fred Thompson will be the Republican nominee for President in 2008.
WHO IS FRED THOMPSON?Personal:--born August 19, 1942 in Sheffield, Alabama
--married Sarah Lindsey in 1959 at age 17
--had 3 children with Sarah, 1 whom died in 2002 from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs
--divorced from Sarah in 1984 after 25 yrs. of marriage, it was reportedly amicable and according to sources she will help with his campaign for president
--married Jeri Kehn in 2002
--had 2 children with Jeri, one just born in 2006
--he has non-Hodgkin's lymphoma but is in remission, it is reportedly indolent, and the lowest of the three grades of NHL, he has said it should not affect his life expectancy
--is a member of the Church of Christ
Schooling:--Florence State College
--Memphis State University--Degree in philosophy and political science
--Vanderbilt University Law School--JD Degree
--admitted to the State Bar of Tennessee
Law & Political Career:--assistant U.S. attorney from 1969 to 1972
--campaign manager for Republican U.S. Senator Howard Baker's successful re-election campaign in 1972
--co-chief counsel to "Watergate Committee" from 1973 to 1974
--maintained law offices in Nashville and Washington, D.C. for the rest of the 70's
--special counsel to Tennessee Governor Lamar Alexander in 1980
--special counsel, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations 1980-1981
--Special counsel to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence 1982
--member of the Tennessee Appellate Court Nominating Commission 1985-1987
--worked as a corporate lobbyist in Washington, D.C. from 1975-1992
--elected in landslides to be the U.S. Senator from Tennessee in 1994 and 96
Acting Career:Most well known for his role in the movie
Die Hard 2 and the TV show
Law and Order. To see the rest of his acting career
go here.
Where he stands on the issues:--against abortion
--against same-sex marriage
--for school vouchers
--for abstinence education
--for drilling in Anwar
--for Presidential line-item veto
--against gun-control
--for national missile defense system
--for personal social security accounts
--for tax cuts
--strong supporter of the war on terror
--against the current immigration bill, for securing the borders first, for a comprehensive post on his immigration stance, go here
My only 2 qualms:
--supported McCain/Feingold
--voted yes on funding the National Endowment for the Arts (I guess we have to give him this one since he's been an actor)
For a comprehensive list of where Fred Thompson stands on the issues, go here!!
My favorite thing about Fred that I have seen so far is his willingness to be candid and not nauseatingly, politically correct. He has
supported Scooter Libby without hesitation,
he took on Michael Moore and he seems to have the same core today that he had 30 years ago.
There are a plethora of articles and blog posts out there on Fred Thompson. I have yet to encounter a conservative in the blog world that isn't impressed with him. Below are just some of the many pieces on him.
Sources: My previous posts on ThompsonPatrick's long list of Fred postsAstute Blogger posts on Fred ConservapediaWikipediaHawks for ThompsonThe Next Reagan?Key Bush Backers rally to Fred ThompsonPeter Robinson interview with FredRepublican Thompson to meet with ThatcherSupport for Fred Thompson:I'm with FredThe Fred Thompson ReportHis articles for National Review OnlineMaine for Fred Thompson
